The present disclosure is related to patient support apparatuses including inflatable mattresses. More specifically, the present disclosure is related to a patient support apparatus having an inflatable mattress that increases in size to lift a patient during egress from a foot end of a patient support apparatus.
Patient support apparatuses, such as hospital beds, for example, may include deck sections that are expandable or retractable to vary the size of the deck section. For example, a patient support apparatus may include a foot deck section to support the lower legs with the foot deck section being extendable or retractable to act as a foot prop to support the foot of a patient on the patient support apparatus. In patient support apparatuses that move to a chair egress position, such as the Hill-Rom® TotalCare® bed, the foot deck section may retract to prevent interference with the floor when the foot deck section is lowered to a generally vertical position.
When a hospital bed moves to a chair egress position, the patient egresses by placing their feet on the floor and standing. In lift chairs of the type used in the home for the elderly, the seat section is moved vertically and forwardly to assist an occupant in standing. In some cases, the entire chair is supported from a base frame and the chair moves upwardly relative to the base, rotating to move the back portion of the seat higher. In patient support apparatuses that move from a horizontal bed position to a chair egress position, the lifting of the seat section is hindered by the risk of tipping of the patient support apparatus if the weight of the patient egressing creates too great of a moment about the foot end casters.